The invention is concerned with pattern processing. The most significant field involves patterns used in human communication. Aspects are as simple as typewriting or typesetting which at this time may entail only simple mechanical apparatus for replicating a selected inscribed character in another medium. Others are more sophisticated and the human interface may be only an initial step. Examples include word processing in which application of extensive artificial intelligence follows inputting.
For the most part, processing of alphabetic letters (or patterns) used in Western languages is accomplished by use of the familiar keyboard approach. The keyboard continues to serve well. The degree of skill required even for professional stenography is within the practical grasp of most, and this requirement, too, is substantially lessened where speed is not of the essence. Professionals and non-professionals in a variety of disciplines, all without formal stenographic training, are reasonably comfortable with keyboard inputting for art searches, word processing and the like.
These objectives are not so easily accomplished where processing entails larger numbers of patterns. Ideographic languages such as Kanji, are a prime example.
It is well known that a Chinese scholar may make use of 10,000 or more characters in written communication. The bulk of these Chinese characters find use in Japanese adaptation, Kanji, as well, although the problem is somewhat alleviated by two phonetic languages, Hiragana and Katakana. "Simplified vocabularies", such as Japanese Industrial Standard 1, (JIS-1) are in widespread use. JIS-1 contains only about 3,000 characters. Many users, however, continue to employ more extensive vocabularies. Processing may even be further complicated by the inclusion of the phonetic languages which introduce some seventy additional characters per language--more than twice those in the typical Western alphabetic language.